Looking for that Perfect Closing or Thank You Gift? Here You Go!

When it comes to buying the perfect closing gift for your client what better way to say thank you, than to give them something they will actually use for years to come?

Every homeowner needs tools and that is why Project Home has created a great closing, Thank You gift for your clients or other gift giving occasion. Imagine having your branding on the toolkit to remind them who gave it to them and for their friends and families to see.  This is a great way to really give your client something they will use, but to also keep your name fresh in their mind every time they use it.

What is included in the Project  Home Home Owner kit? Five basic tools and a great canvas bag to carry them in.  These tools are what every homeowner needs from the first time buyer to the seasoned homebuyer purchasing their tenth home. And, these are not just any tools, these are Tomboy Tools a division of Project Home who strives to make their tools as light weight as possible with an ergonomic design. 

·         Pink/Black wide mouth canvas bag with zip closure

·         13 oz. Hammer is the perfect weight hammer for most, including a magnetic head and rubber grip handle 

·         16' Tape Measure includes metric and fracture markings for ease of measuring

·         Ratcheting Screwdriver is like having 10 screwdrivers in one with 10 bits in the handle with the ease of ratcheting for all of your home projects 

·         Slip Joint Pliers also include rubber grip handles

·         Pink/White Rubber Gloves are washable, come in two sizes and can be used in the garden.

Project Home is offering Real Estate Professionals the opportunity to purchase 5 Homeowner Kits embroidered with your name and phone number or maybe your website.  You have the option of adding two lines to this high-end, durable canvas bag with your information on the side of the bag.  What a great opportunity to continue to advertise your business while giving your customer a purposeful gift!

Have you heard of Project Home? If not, let me share a little information about who they are and why they are making a huge difference in the real estate industry. 

Tomboy Tools, now d/b/a Project Home was founded in 2002 with a mission of building confidence and empowering women through education and quality products. The company has its headquarters in Newark, Ohio. On August 1, The company will do business under the name Project Home™ with the tag line, "Making your vision real." The company will continue to use the brand name Tomboy Tools for its line of pink tools that are designed especially for women.

"We want to show women how to keep their homes organized, maintained and beautiful. In other words, we’re taking a much more comprehensive view of our mission than simply as a seller of pink tools."


August Special – Each Real Estate Professional joining Project Home will be in a drawing for one Home Owner kit to be given away.  For more information on how you can continue to advertise your business while providing a great gift to your clients, contact Toni Griffin, Project Home Consultant, at 217-412-0610 or email her at toniglovespink@comcast.net.

Toni Griffin has been a Project Home Consultant for 2 years.  She has always had a passion for remodeling, renovating and home improvement.  Along with her husband Phil, they have remodeled their home and most recently built Phil his own garage.  She can answer any questions about this incredible opportunity, the company or any tool.  Visit her website at www.theprojecthome.info/tonigriffin

Choosing Your Mortgage Lender: 5 Questions You Should Ask

All mortgage lenders are not the same. Not only do they offer different rates -- one study found that on a given day, mortgage rates can vary from .375% to .625% between lenders – they offer different experiences. Good lenders are highly professional and their loans progress quickly and smoothly. They want to understand your needs in order to make the right recommendations. The best mortgage lenders interview you thoroughly, complete your application quickly, and request everything they need from you upfront. Bad lenders call every other day for new documents, neglect to provide or explain the loan’s disclosures, or drop into black holes and stop returning your calls.

Naturally, you want a good lender and not a bad one. But how to you find a good lender?

First Things First: Rates, Ratings and Reviews

The most expedient way to vet a batch of mortgage lenders is online. Not only can you get a fistful of competitive mortgage quotes in a very short time, you can check out lenders’ reviews and ratings. 

You’d probably like dealing with the mortgage banker that got this review:

Fantastic Service!

We could not be more pleased with the way in which Joshua, our mortgage advisor, handled our refinancing. He patiently reviewed and explained all of our options, reworking scenarios when necessary, and walked us through every step of the way. He was always available, answered questions thoroughly, and made the process easy and even fun. I have already recommended him to a friend. Thanks so much!!

And you’d want to kick this mortgage broker to the curb:

Sky high closing costs!
I was charged an arm and a leg in costs and fees. I had an FHA loan and ended up paying almost 8% at closing. I will not recommend this lender to ANY acquaintance of mine. I was not explained that I was being charged points and given the "so called cheaper" rate. I did not even receive my Good Faith Estimate until a week before the day of closing.

Next Things Next: 5 Crucial Questions

Once you’ve winnowed your list of lenders to two or three, you can interview the loan officers and mortgage brokers, making sure that you get someone whose communication style and personality is harmonious with yours. It’s difficult to discuss personal issues like your salary and child support arrangements with someone who makes you queasy. It’s much easier to talk money with someone you like and trust. Here’s what you need to find out:

·         Can I get a Good Faith Estimate today? Some lenders only give GFEs to people if they apply for a loan, while others provide the forms to anyone who asks. This demonstrates a higher level of customer service, and a GFE offers more consumer protection than a worksheet or scenario.

·         How quickly can I expect calls to be returned or my emails to be answered? Your lender’s communication style should mirror yours. You don’t want someone calling you during dinner about an email you sent that morning, or texting you about a rate change when you wish to be called.

·         Can I get my closing documents ahead of time and review them at home? This makes your closing smoother and takes some pressure off. If you don’t understand a provision in your loan, it won’t help if an escrow agent, Realtor and the seller are all there breathing down your neck and drumming their nails.

·         What is your procedure for locking in my loan, and will you keep me informed when mortgage rates change? You should be able to lock your loan over the phone, and you should receive written confirmation that your loan is locked.

·         What loan product do you recommend for me, and why do you recommend it? This is a biggie. Every loan product – FHA, hybrid ARMs, Community Homebuyer, etc. – is the best loan for someone. Don’t settle for a lender who automatically puts everyone in the same mortgage program because it’s easier.

You should be able to judge the loan officers expertise and helpfulness from these answers. Choose the person who puts as much effort into his or her work as you do!

Author Bio: Gina Pogol spent over a decade in mortgage lending, originating, processing and underwriting home loans. She has written about mortgage rates and finance issues for a number of publishers since 2006. Currently a senior marketing manager with Lending Tree, Gina advocates for consumers and loves answering their mortgage and personal finance questions.

Kim Hughes & Company - Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Approves this article.

Planting the Seed

How many of your past clients are you still in contact with? Do you have a relationship with them?  Do you call them to say hello, happy birthday, congratulations?  Why not?  This is your bread and butter and cream of the crop for business building.

Creating a system to keep in contact with your past clients you can plant seeds of suggestions.  By keeping touch with them you need to let them know how much you appreciate their business and for referring their family, friends and co-workers to you.  After all, they have already done business with you, so they know how detailed oriented you are and really worked hard for them in achieving their dreams.

If you are not staying in touch with your past clients, now is the time to start.  Send them a card or call them.  Explain to them it was a genuine honor to work with them and that it is important to you that you have satisfied clients.  Ask them if there is anything they need or you can do for them.  Offer a free home value analysis or to meet with them to evaluate their real estate portfolio, which means determine if they are in a position to buy or sell.   You could even talk to them about maybe considering a re-fi since the interests rates are low.  This could save them hundreds of dollars a month if they are paying high interest rates.

When you take the time to stay in touch with your past clients, you are planting the seed. It also gives them the confidence in referring you to others and brings them back to you when they are ready to buy or sell. 

Planting the seeds of suggestions is just that - a subtle reference to the idea of referral, especially with non-business contacts.  Use a "By the way..." indirect approach to avoid appearing pushy or desperate.  By implementing this technique not only helps develop contacts from friendships, but friendships from contacts.

Take a few minutes to write down how you will indirectly mention that your business is built on referrals.  Then start planting the seed. 

Need help in this area of your business?  Contact me so we can discuss how your system should be created so you can start building your referrals. 

How to Remember Maintenance Tasks? There’s an App for That!

These days, we’re all busy with work, family and friends. There’s so little extra time left,  it’s human nature that some things just are not remembered. Like changing the batteries in the smoke-alarms or the filters in the HVAC system. You would do them if you remembered, right?

Now, perhaps you won’t have to worry about remembering. BrightNest is a free app for iPhone and iPads that organizes cleaning and schedules maintenance tasks for you.  After creating an account, or using Facebook, to sign in to the service, you’ll answer some basic questions and then the App is ready to work for you.

​BrightNest will suggest a variety of tasks for you to do, and provide an estimate of how long they’ll take, how hard they’ll be and a guide to how to get them done.  You can then add them to your schedule. If there’s a task not listed in the App, you can add it on the website itself.

Right now, BrightNest is only available for iOS, or through the web. The website includes a variety of excellent, time-saving ideas, from how to create a pallet garden to making small spaces work.
 

Like similar Apps, BrightNest is a way to simplify your life a bit.

This is a great app to share with your real estate clients. 

Kim Hughes
Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Business Consultant
www.KimHughes.com
Kim@KimHughes.com
903-569-6763

Real Estate Technology

The Real Estate business has changed in the last twenty years. Not fundamentally, of course. It’s still about communicating effectively with people. But, the technology of computers and the internet have changed the way we do business in a variety of ways.

The business is still about communicating effectively, which is ironic when you consider how confusing all the options can be. You, like so many other people, may be overwhelmed by technology marketing aimed at everyone and no one all at the same time.

Do I need a smart phone? Do I need a tablet? What is an app and which apps should I get? What about a website? A blog? Do I have to use Twitter? Why do I need a Facebook business page when I already have a Facebook page? How do  I send a text message?

If you’re not asking the questions above, chances are you did at one time. Chances are even better that you’ve heard Real Estate professionals asking those questions.

Take Your Time. If you’ve been in business for any amount of time, you probably don’t need to rush into adopting new technology. It’s always going to be best to take your time and get it right.

Don’t Worry. All of this technology is remarkably forgiving. If you do make a mistake, it’s not going to be the end of the world. If you get frustrated or lost, put it down, take a walk and then…

Ask Questions. Leverage your network to find out how your friends and co-workers are using a specific technology. Buy someone a cup of coffee and pick their brains. Take classes. Hire a computer geek to tutor you on the basics.

Why do I need any of this stuff?

The goal is to use this new technology to make your life more efficient and stress-free. Any other result is wrong! 

What stuff do I need?

Anything that’s going to make it easier for you to connect with and assist your clients is something you should consider. We at Kim Hughes& Company are experienced in and enjoy using various technologies that may be helpful for you to explore. Over the course of the coming weeks and months, we’ll take a look at individual technologies and give you reasons to consider adding it to your bag of tricks. And, if there’s something specific you want to know or if you have questions about using technology in Real Estate, let us know. We’re here to help you!

 

K.I.S.S. – Keep It Social Stupid

bybilllublinonJune 23, 2011inCommentary, How-To, Reputation Management, Social Networking

One of the oldest mnemonics in sales and advertising is K.I.S.S. – “Keep It Simple Stupid” – a reminder that in sales or traditional broadcast messaging you have a limited window to make your point, and that point needs to clear, concise, and simple in order to have the desired impact.
I recently read a post, which proclaimed, like so many others these days that “sales is dead”.  A statement that may be a little too strong to be accurate. But certainly we need to look for alternatives to traditional sales techniques in our online engagement as consumers grow ever more sophisticated. Likewise, in a world of peer to peer communication, broadcast marketing is challenged – its not yet dead, though it certainly is not as healthy as it once was. But with so much new content available to them, people are less inclined to pay attention to your message about your  about your product or service, because they are involved in more interesting conversations about topics that they really care about.
Today’s  connected world has created the need to re-invent K.I.S.S. as “Keep It Social Stupid”. We don’t live in a world of perpetual  Super Bowl ads so entertaining that people wait with bated breath to see our clever commercial messages. People don’t like ads for the most part, and with the interaction of Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare as alternative entertainment, people aren’t looking for  commercials or ads. They’re here to connect with others socially – and you forget that at your peril.
Businesses and business people that are successful online remember that their success will come from word of mouth recommendations  based on the trust they develop through their online interactions, not because they are the first, the biggest, or the best at what they do. A recent study showed that a Facebook like was worth almost three times a Tweet. The article suggests that this result occurs because  our Facebook friends most closely match our “real” friends, leading me to the conclusion that the social interaction was the keystone of the success. In fact in a recent infographic  from Spinback they share that 90% of all purchases are subject to social influence.
So if you want to be social – what do you need to do?
Listen – find out what your friends and communities are talking about – what they care about, and what interests them. Not what you think they should care about, but what they are actually talking about online.
Contribute – bring your insights to the conversation – add you thoughts, remembering that you do so for the benefit of others, not for a direct return to you in your business.
Curate or Create and share with the group, but do so in the context of the ongoing conversation, not in the context of your business needs. Consider what you curate or create,before you generate a stream of irrelevancies.  Using the information you glean during your listening to respond to the concerns, issues and interests of your community, Give careful thought to why your community might care about it and how sharing these items impacts them and your relationship with them.
Talk to People as individuals. It is impossible to understate how important it is to have conversations in this online space. Or how rapidly you increase the quality of a relationship by directly communicating on a one to one basis by replying to people on your Facebook page, making a quick response on a comment left on your blog, or mentioning someone by name in an online channel . It is here that connections can be made for the small business or professional and you can take a social contact and make them an advocate and evangelist for your cause, product, or service.
Following these simple guidelines  will build relationships with members of your online community. Those relationships in turn generate trust , allowing you to become positioned as a valued member of the community and a resource for its members, which gets you to your business purpose in a very easy and comfortable manner. Companies and professionals who fail to engage socially are doomed to low level attention from consumers at best, and complete anonymity at worst – so why settle for that? And engaging in social channels without being social is, as I have said before, like putting Lipstick on a Pig. Go out and do better – You have the potential to be great, and you don’t need to settle for anything less.

Posted via email from Kim Hughes and Company

Amber Alert and Facebook Take It To The Next Level.

U.S. Facebook users will now be able to receive AMBER Alerts — the notifications issued when a child is abducted — on the social network, the result of a new partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Details of the new program were made available Wednesday morning, one day before the 15th anniversary of the abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, whom the alert system was named after

Read the rest of this article on how you can add your states Amber Alert to post on your Fan Page or Profile.